Understanding Ground Zero

Arlington, VA—Rapid-response researchers, driven by years of experience studying earthquake and flood disasters, rushed to collect critical data from Ground Zero within days of the September 11th attacks. Unseen by the public and below the radar screens of many in the media, the U.S. academic community was scrambling.

On Monday, Feb. 23, the National Science Foundation hosted six of the nation's top rapid-response researchers to report on their experiences at Ground Zero, highlighted the concerns facing disaster researchers and shared their results as collected in the recent compilation, Beyond September 11th: An Account of Post-Disaster Research.

NSF has now posted video and transcripts of each speaker's remarks, slides, and contact information at a new online showcase devoted to the event, Beyond September 11th: Rapid Response Disaster Research. All material is available for download at: http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsmedia/beyond911/index.jsp

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2017, its budget is $7.5 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 48,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards.